It Started As A Dream
by charleybec
Summary: "It was that dream again. The one she'd had every night since returning to the Abbey... But dreams of being with the Captain would only be that. Dreams." With dreams of dancing the Laendler continually flowing through their minds, will Maria and Georg finally find each other? A gift exchange story written for laurynvi. Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: This is my gift story for laurynvi who I have had the pleasure of getting to know better over the last month or so. Laurynvi, I was told that you love the Laendler so I really hope this story makes you happy and you enjoy it very much! Merry Christmas! xx charleybec_**

 ** _I hope everyone else enjoys this story too. Please review! Reviews are fabulous!_**

 **It Started As A Dream**

 _The music continued to play as they began to twirl. She'd completely forgotten there was anyone else out there on the terrace for all she knew was him, and him alone. His deep blue eyes were locked on hers: piecing, penetrating and probing into the depths of her soul._

 _They stopped twirling, although the music still played. Arms held high above their heads, their fingers were still intertwined – his gloved hand grasping her bare hand tightly. His body pressed hard against hers and she couldn't move, she couldn't breathe. She just_ knew _what was going to happen next. Her heart began to race in anticipation. Yet suddenly she was frightened, but she didn't know what frightened her most - that they were going to kiss, or that they weren't?_

 _A fraction of a heartbeat later, they let go of their hands and simultaneously their arms dropped to their sides. Instinctively she went to take a step backwards away from him but his strong hand around her waist stopped her and pulled her body closer to his._

 _"_ _No," he whispered, his lips barely moving. He softly caressed her face with the back of his gloved fingertips before cupping her cheek with his hand. He tilted her face towards his. "You must allow me…" He leant in towards her, "…to kiss you…"_

 _At that moment his lips grazed over hers with the lightest of touches. She closed her eyes, relishing in the sensation of his warm mouth upon hers. He moved in for a second kiss, this time pressing his lips just a little harder against hers. Their mouths moved slightly apart, and their tongues touched momentarily as their kiss deepened. She responded instantly, a gasp of delight escaping from her mouth. It was like she had waited all her life to be kissed like that!_

 _She laced her arms around his neck as he slid his arms around her body. They kissed again; his tongue swirling gently against hers. His mouth was warm and sweet, tasting of the champagne he had just been drinking. She felt giddy, almost drunk herself from the sensations and feelings he was stirring inside her. She could never have imagined that kissing him would be like this._

 _"_ _Maria…" he murmured as he kissed her again, "you must allow me…" another kiss, "… to tell you…" another kiss, "… just how much I love you…"_

 _Her heart soared at hearing his declaration of love. "Oh Captain…" she whispered, opening her eyes for the first time to look at him and to declare her love for him in return._

 _But he was gone…_

At once Maria sat bolt upright, her heart was racing and sweat poured off her body. It was that dream again. The one she'd had every night since returning to the Abbey, and every time it ended the same way: the Captain kissing her and declaring his love to her before she woke up.

Maria buried her head in her hands. _What was she doing?_ She had gone there on God's errand, and to ask for the Captain's love would have been wrong, yet there was no denying how she felt about him. But at least back at the Abbey she would be away from it all, she would be _safe_ , and dreams of being with the Captain would just be that. Dreams.

XxXxXxXxXx

 _There were so many people dancing and he found himself wandering aimlessly through the ballroom, casually tapping his gloves against his other hand as he walked. But as he approached the open French doors that led out onto the terrace, he saw her: twisting awkwardly as she tried to teach the young boy how to dance._

 _Feeling mischievous, he bit his lip and chuckling to himself as he effortlessly slipped on his gloves and then held one hand out to her. Without missing a beat, her warm hand was placed in his gloved one and the dance began._

 _Promenades, waltzes, spins and twirls – time seemed to disappear as all he knew was her and their dance of love. Her soft, lithe body was warm in his arms and the sweet smell of her perfume flooded his senses intoxicating him. He wanted and desired her more than he knew was even possible._

 _They spun together slowly, one arm held high above their heads while the other was laced firmly around each other's waist. His eyes locked onto hers: her beautiful blue eyes were so innocent and yet so passionate. So lost in her eyes that he hardly even realised that they had stopped spinning._

 _She let go of his gloved hand and both their arms dropped to their sides simultaneously. With her chest heaving slightly, she tried to step back away from him. But his strong hand around her waist stopped her and pulled her body closer to his._

 _"_ _No," he whispered, his lips barely moving. He softly caressed her face with the back of his gloved fingertips before cupping her cheek with his hand. He tilted her face towards his. "You must allow me…" He leant in towards her, "…to kiss you…"_

 _He brushed his lips lightly over hers and he heard her gasp in delight as he moved in for a second kiss, this time pressing his lips just a little harder against hers. She opened her mouth slightly, inviting him to deepen their kiss and their tongues touched momentarily. She tasted sweet, like honey and chocolate and crisp apple strudel. He groaned into her mouth as she laced her arms around his neck and he kissed her again – it felt like forever since he'd kissed a woman like that. And what a woman she was! Beautiful, irresistible, tantalizing, and sexy… He wanted to kiss her again, and again, and again…_

 _"_ _Maria," he murmured as his lips found hers once more, kissing her deeply, "you must allow me…" another kiss, "… to tell you…" another kiss, "… just how much I love you…"_

 _Her eyes were still closed as he waited for her response. Lips parting slightly, she began to speak, "Oh Captain…"_

 _But then she was gone._

Sitting bolt upright, Georg's heart was racing. It was that dream again, the same dream he'd had ever since his young governess had returned to the Abbey the night of the party. And it always ended the same way: him kissing her, declaring his love for her and then her disappearing before he woke up.

Feeling disorientated, Georg took a moment to get his bearings. Blinking several times, he scanned the room around him. Bookcases, heavy dark green drapes at the windows and a large cedar wood desk in the corner – he was in his study. He could hear the sounds of knocking coming from somewhere outside the room. Squeezing his eyes closed as the last images from his dream disappeared, he ran one hand over his face as he tried to wake himself up properly.

The knocking continued and Georg groggily got up from the sofa and went and answered the door. It was Elsa.

"Georg, there you are!" she gushed before she took a hard look at him. Seeing his disheveled appearance and sleep-ridden eyes, she said, "I'm sorry, darling, were you asleep?"

Georg rubbed his eyes once more. "Yes, sorry Elsa. I think I had dozed off on the sofa. Was there something you wanted?"

"Yes, I wanted to talk to you," she answered as she swept into the room and closed the door behind her.

"What about?" Georg asked her innocently, although there were no prizes for guessing what she wanted to talk about. It was the thing that he had been avoiding for days ever since the party.

"Georg," Elsa turned and gave him a pointed look. "I think you know. And I know you've been avoiding the issue, and been avoiding me." Georg nodded, knowing she was right.

"You want to talk about marriage?" he asked with a sigh.

"Of course, darling," she replied, coming over to him and brushing his cheek lightly with her hand. "Isn't that why you brought me here? To get approval from your children before we made our relationship official?"

Georg looked at her in silence for several seconds as he wiggled the fingers on his left hand absently. "Yes, that was the plan," he paused "… originally."

"Originally?" Elsa raised her eyebrows. Georg bit down on his lip. _It was no use_ , he thought to himself, _he had to tell her. He couldn't marry her when he was in love with someone else._

Georg took Elsa's hand. "Please, come and sit down. We need to talk. When two people talk of marriage..."

But Elsa pulled her hand from his grasp and took a step backwards. It was almost like she knew what he was going to say. "No don't, don't say another word, please," she breathed, taking a moment to pull herself together. "In fact I think I realized a long time ago that this would happen. You're not in love with me, are you?" Georg shook his head slowly.

"Strangely, it's alright," she said with a sad laugh. "I thought I would be more upset, but I'm not. You see, there are other things I've been thinking of. Fond as I am of you, Georg, I really don't think you're the right man for me. You're much too independent, and I need some who needs me desperately, or at least needs my money desperately."

"Elsa…"

Elsa gave him a sad smile, her eyes glistening with tears. "I've enjoyed every moment we've had together and I do thank you for that."

"Elsa," Georg said again. "I am sorry for how this has ended, and for hurting you."

"I know, Georg," she nodded sorrowfully. She squeezed his hand. There were a few moments of poignant silence before Georg spoke again. "So, what are you going to do now?" he asked.

"Well, I suppose I'll go upstairs, pack my little bags and return to Vienna where I belong."

"All right. But Elsa, before you do, we should tell the children," Georg said. "It just wouldn't feel right for you to disappear without even saying goodbye."

Elsa nodded. "Perhaps, I could spend some time with them? They really are very enchanting children. I could play a game or something with them while you go out."

"Go out?"

"Of course," Elsa replied with a knowing smile. "Somewhere out there is a young lady, who I think will never be a nun."

"But she's back at the Abbey!" Georg protested.

"Exactly!" Elsa rolled her eyes at having to spell out each and every detail to Georg. "You should go to her and tell her how you feel."

"I will," he replied with a grin. "Thank you Elsa." Georg gave her a kiss on the cheek and had started to walk out of his study when Elsa called him back.

"Uh, Georg? May I suggest you take a shower and change your suit before going after Maria?" She scanned her eyes up and down his ragged appearance, his unshaved beard and the sleeves of his crushed shirt rolled up to his elbows.

Georg smiled. "Good idea."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Around half an hour later, Georg was freshly showered, shaved and dressed and he exited the villa through the back onto the outside terrace. His children looked miserable and they were attempting to sing for Max, although their misery made their song sound pitiful. He knew exactly why they were sad, as he missed Maria too.

Instead, he tried to be cheerful. "That sounded lovely, don't stop." He gave his children a half smile as he went and joined Elsa at the table who was looking incredibly weary after her session playing ball games with his children. Clearly Elsa and ball games did not mix, but he was grateful to her for trying.

Just as he was eyeing the jug of disgusting-looking pink lemonade, Brigitta accosted Georg. "Father? Is it true that Fraulein Maria isn't coming back?"

Georg tried hard not to look at Elsa who was giving him the eye. "Fraulein Maria?" he answered as casually as he could. "Yes I suppose it's true." Georg didn't know what else to tell the children. He really didn't want to reveal too much about his plan to go after Maria, in case he failed, so he quickly tried to change the subject. "What have we got here?" He picked up a glass of the disgusting looking pink liquid.

"Pink lemonade," Elsa replied.

"Laced with, uh… lemonade," Max added with a grimace.

Not being put off, Brigitta persisted. "I don't believe it, Father."

"Don't believe what?" he asked offhandedly.

"About Fraulein Maria," Brigitta spelt out.

"Oh Fraulein Maria!" Georg pretended to catch on. "Didn't I tell you what her note said?" He scratched his chin. "Oh I'm sure I did. She said she missed her life at the Abbey too much, she had to leave us, and that's all there is to it."

Before anyone could ask any further questions, Georg quickly changed the subject once more. "I think I'm brave enough to try some of that," he announced looking at the jug of pink lemonade in front of him.

But Georg changing the subject once again still didn't put Brigitta off. "She didn't even say goodbye."

"She did in her note," replied Georg sharply.

Brigitta protested. "That isn't the same thing."

"Not too sweet, not too sour," Elsa said as she poured Georg a glass of pink lemonade.

"Just too, uh… pink." Max commented, contorting his face strangely as he scowled down at his own glass of lemonade.

"Father." This time it was Gretl who was asking questions. "Who is our new governess going to be?"

Georg glanced at Elsa. "Well," he began as he stood up. "I'm not exactly sure."

"You're not?" asked Liesl in surprise.

"No. I still have some, er, _inquiries_ to make regarding that. But there is something else I need to tell you all." Georg stood behind Elsa and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Baroness Schraeder has decided to return to Vienna today."

At once there were hushed whispers as the children looked wildly between each other confused and in shock. They hadn't expected their father to make _that_ announcement.

Elsa gave the children her most lovely smile. "It has been a pleasure, children, to meet you and get to know you all. Thank you for inviting me into your home." Georg inclined his head towards Liesl purposefully. Liesl got the hint and came forward and kissed Elsa on the cheek. The other children followed before Kurt was the last one who lingered somewhat, taking his time to place not just one, but three kisses on Elsa's cheek.

As the children all moved away, Elsa whispered to Georg. "I'll look after them. Go, go and get Maria. Auf wiedersehen, darling." Georg gave Elsa a wink and discretely went back inside the house to leave for the Abbey just as he heard Elsa announce with a weary sigh that they were all going to play hide and seek.


	2. Chapter 2

About half an hour later, Georg stood at the Abbey gates and rang the bell. He waited anxiously for a minute or so before a cheerful looking nun answered the gate. "Yes?"

"Uh, hello. My name is Captain von Trapp. I'm here to see Fraulein Maria."

"Fraulein Maria?" the nun questioned before it hit her. "Oh Maria." She unlocked the gate. "Come in, please." Georg had only walked about two steps when the nun turned back to him. "Wait here."

Georg waited nervously while the nun went and spoke to a second nun. The second nun looked over at him warily before she left the first nun and approached him. "I'm Sister Margaretta. I understand you asked about Maria."

Georg spoke very firmly. "I have to see her. Will you tell her I'm here?"

"I'm afraid I can't do that…"

"But you've got to!" Georg protested. Suddenly all his nerves hit him and every thought he had in his head came pouring out at once. "She's my governess… I want her back… She didn't even say goodbye… All I want to do is talk to her…"

Sister Margaretta looked at him oddly but shook her head. "I'm sorry, but Maria is in seclusion. She hasn't been seeing anybody."

But Georg was insistent. "She'll see me, I know she will!"

Sister Margaretta shook her head again and began to escort Georg back to the gate. "Perhaps some other time, Captain."

"Sister Margaretta, please!" Georg begged as he was shown the gate, his desperation showing through. But as Sister Margaretta opened the gate and was waiting for him to walk through, they heard a voice call out from up the passageway.

"Wait!" Georg turned around to see an elderly nun approach them. He recognized her as the Reverend Mother. "Captain von Trapp? What is this all about?" the Reverend Mother asked.

"The Captain wishes to see Maria," Sister Margaretta explained before Georg had the chance to. The Reverend Mother looked at Georg hard, scrutinizing him somewhat before she gestured for him to follow her. "Come with me, Captain."

As the entered the Reverend Mother's office, Georg asked. "Maria. How is she?"

The Reverend Mother gave a wistful smile. "It's strange. She seems happy to be back here, and yet unhappy." She sat down in her chair. "Captain, may I ask, why did you send Maria back to us?"

"I didn't send her back," Georg replied truthfully. "She left."

"Why? Were you unkind to her?"

"Oh no!" Georg immediately declared, horrified at the suggestion.

The Reverend Mother was silent as she scrutinized Georg once more. "There's something else, isn't there?" Georg nodded slowly. "Captain, I think you need to start from the very beginning."

For the next ten minutes, the Reverend Mother listened as Georg recounted everything that had happened since Maria had blown into his life two months before, ending with how Maria had left the family the night of the party.

"Are you in love with her?" The Reverend Mother wasted no time getting straight to the point.

"I believe I am, Reverend Mother. And I assure you that my intentions are entirely honourable."

"I have no doubt about that, sir," the Reverend Mother remarked with a smile, knowing what a fine and brave man Georg was. "Captain, if you wouldn't mind waiting, I will talk to Maria myself."

Georg agreed and the next half hour seemed to last an eternity while he waited in the outside courtyard. As he paced up and down, Georg thought he could hear the sounds of singing coming from somewhere in the Abbey. It wasn't Maria's voice raised in song, but someone else and Georg assumed it was the Mother Abbess herself. Georg wondered what the Reverend Mother was telling Maria. He hoped that after her talk with the Mother Abbess, Maria would want to see him.

But the longer he waited, the more nervous he became. Georg found it strange that he could lead a whole regiment of men into battle without batting an eyelid, but talking to a woman about how he felt about her? That was something completely different. As he pondered how he was going to tell Maria exactly how he felt about her, Georg heard the last few strains of the song the Reverend Mother was singing floating through the air.

 _"…_ _Follow every rainbow, 'till you find your dream…"_

 _Dreams…_ Images from Georg's dreams of dancing with Maria flooded back into his mind and suddenly he had an idea.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

Maria hung up her postulants dress for the very last time and smoothed the wrinkles from the new emerald green dress that she now wore. Slim-lined with a narrow belt around the waist, Maria had been very pleased when the Reverend Mother presented the dress to her which had been freshly donated to the Abbey by a new postulant that day. Although she didn't have a mirror, she felt beautiful and Maria hoped _he_ would think she was beautiful too.

After the pep talk the Reverend Mother had given her, Maria knew where to look for her life and she now had the confidence to return to the von Trapp villa to find out whether, like in her dreams, the Captain returned her feelings of love.

Excited and eager to start her new adventure, Maria whistled on the stairs as she left her room and had a skip in her step as she waltzed past the sisters on their way to Mass. But as she rounded the last corner and arrived at the outside courtyard, she stopped up short.

 _He_ was there waiting for her. Her Captain. She dropped both her bag and guitar case in surprise. Hearing the thud of her luggage, Georg looked up and a wide smile came across his face when he saw her. She looked stunningly beautiful dressed in a perfectly fitted emerald frock.

"Hello," he called out to her. "I thought I just might find you here." Georg playfully punctuated his words trying to disguise just how nervous he actually was.

"Captain? I didn't expect… What are you doing here?" asked Maria, still in a state of shock to see him there at the Abbey.

"Hmm? Oh I was just passing by," he lied. "And I thought I'd just pop in to see how you were. You see, the children miss you…"

"Only the children?"

"No, er, I mean yes! Isn't it right that they should be missing you?"

"Yes, of course," Maria muttered to herself, casting her eyes downwards. "I only thought that perhaps…" _Perhaps what, Maria? That the Captain misses you too?_

Georg watched her closely and seeing the downcast look on her face, he knew it was time to own up. "Actually, I told a little fib," he said sheepishly. "I didn't just happen to be passing by. I came here for a reason. Well, two reasons actually," he chuckled nervously, looking down at his feet.

"Yes?" Maria looked up in hope.

Georg walked up and stood right in front of her, so close that they were practically touching. "Firstly, I'm here to take you home."

"Home?"

"Yes, home to the children… and to me." He looked right into her face and at once he saw her cheeks flush the faintest of pinks.

"And the Baroness?" she asked with a whisper as she closed her eyes.

"Maria," he spoke quietly. "There isn't going to be any Baroness."

"There isn't?" Maria at once opened her eyes and looked at him questioningly.

"No, we called off our relationship," Georg explained. "She's due to return to Vienna this afternoon."

"Oh," she breathed. There was a poignant silence for a few moments before she spoke again. "So what was the second thing?"

"The second thing?" Georg repeated, thrown for a moment as he gazed into her lovely face. He shook the distraction from his mind and focused on the plan he'd come up with while he was waiting. "Oh, just something I hope you can help me with."

 _It was time to tell her,_ Georg thought to himself. Maria was silent as she looked at Georg, her eyes full of curiosity and interest as she wondered what he was up to.

"Hold out your hand," he instructed. Maria did as she was asked. Georg took her hand, taking a moment to relish the sensation of feeling her warm hand against his, rather than through his glove like last time.

He took his time lacing his other hand around her waist then he pulled her into a waltz position. Maria instinctively rested her other hand on his shoulder.

"You see," he explained as they began to move slowly to the sounds of imaginary music. "I've been having these dreams each night since the party…"

"You have?" Maria replied, surprised at his revelation since she had been having dreams of her own each night since the party too.

"Hmm mmm," he hummed, moving slightly closer towards her so that they were now dancing cheek to cheek. "And I know how they begin, but I need your help to know how they will end…"

"Tell me," she whispered, "how did your dreams begin?"

"They'd begin with you and I dancing like this," he told her, drinking in the smell of her perfume as he nuzzled his face into her golden hair at the nape of her neck. He heard her sigh as she relaxed in his arms. It felt glorious to have her in his embrace after dreaming about her for so long.

Smiling to himself, Georg broken from their intimate dance hold and spun Maria away from him then back again. And as he caught her, he pulled her into the final position from the Laendler: their bodies pressed firmly together and their arms raised high above their heads. "And then we'd spin," he informed her as they began to spin together, before changing directions and spinning again.

But then they stopped spinning, stood still and just stared into each other's eyes. And like the night of the party, Maria felt her breath catch in her throat as she looked back into his deep blue eyes; the intensity of his gaze was overwhelming. She felt like she was back in her dream once more, however this time she was very much awake.

"And then?" Maria asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"And then…" Georg repeated as cupped her chin with his hand and brushed his lips over hers gently. Maria closed her eyes. The sensation of him kissing her almost made Maria's heart stop. "And then I'd kiss you." He kissed her again. His kisses were even better in real life than in her dreams. "And then I'd kiss you again." Another kiss. "And then I'd tell you that I loved you…" Georg didn't kiss her again but waited for her to respond.

"And then what happened?" Maria asked, opening her eyes.

"Then I'd wake up… So," Georg continued, lightly skimming her cheek with his fingertips, "I was hoping you'd help me out with what happens next."

Maria smiled, her heart practically bursting with emotion as all her dreams were coming true. 'Well next in my dream, I'd tell you I loved you too, very much."

"Oh my love," Georg murmured as his lips found hers again. Maria wrapped her arms around his neck as their kisses deepened in intensity. Holding each other tight, they kissed passionately.

Finally pulling apart breathless, Georg placed feather-like kisses all over her face as he held her close to him. "Maria," he murmured, still kissing her, "is there anyone I should go to, to ask permission to marry you?"

"Well, how about we ask…"

"The children?" they both finished together with a laugh.

"Although," Georg remarked as he glanced backward towards the Abbey, "since we're here, I should probably speak with the Reverend Mother first before we go home."

Maria agreed and hand-in-hand they returned to the Revered Mother's office. Half an hour later, they left the Abbey with the Reverend Mother's blessing for their upcoming marriage and Georg's promise to telephone back in a few days time to arrange the details for the wedding ceremony.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

Georg unlocked the door to the villa and entered the house alone. At once, all seven children came screaming into the grand hallway and bombarded him wanting to know where he'd been all afternoon. Before he could reply, Elsa arrived downstairs. Seeing he was alone, she gave him a quizzical look. Georg made eye contact with her and shook his head faintly, silently asking her not to ask any questions.

"So, what have you lot been up to all afternoon?" Georg threw the children's question back at them.

"We played with Baroness Schraeder all afternoon," Marta told him. "She's actually quite fun."

"I told the children that as long as I didn't have to run, climb trees, go in that hideous boat of yours or get dirty, I would do anything they liked with them," Elsa laughed. "Thankfully they went easy on me." She gave the children a warm smile.

"What about you, Father?" Brigitta asked Georg. "What have you been doing all afternoon?" She was so insistent that Georg knew he couldn't put her off any longer.

"Well…" Georg began glancing down at his watch hoping to stall for more time to put in place the plan that he and Maria had come up with. "I, uh, was busy."

"Doing what?" Gretl probed.

"Hmm? I was, uh, I mean, um…" Georg became tongue-tied as he grasped at straws coming up with something to tell the children. He knew he had to stall the children for as long as possible to allow Maria time to go around the back of the villa and hide. He wished he'd had time to think of something to tell the children before he'd arrived home. Glancing wildly around the grand hallway, Georg spied a large bowl of fruit sitting on the side table. Then saying the first thing that came into his head, he replied, "Berry picking, I went berry picking."

Liesl raised her eyebrows suspiciously. " _You_ went berry picking? All afternoon?"

"Why, don't you think I have it in me?" Georg immediately retorted. "I can get down on my hands and knees and pull fruit off a bush as well as the next person."

"What kind of berries?" Louisa questioned Georg.

"Blueberries," Georg answered, naming the first kind of berries that entered his mind. He felt very pleased with his quick answer.

"Uh, Father?" Friedrich interrupted. "It's too early for blueberries."

Georg's blood went cold. "Er, well no," Georg stumbled over his words trying to correct his previous response. "They were actually strawberries, but it's been so cold lately they turned blue." Georg closed his eyes and cringed at his ridiculous answer. When he opened them again, he saw Elsa out of the corner of his eye shaking her head and trying to suppress a smirk.

"But if you went berry picking," Brigitta began, scratching her chin as she thought, "then show us the berries." She held out her hand.

 _The berries!_ Georg could have slapped himself in the face. He had no berries to show them! This made-up story was getting more absurd by the minute. "I don't have them anymore."

"Well, what happened to them?" asked Kurt. He was so hungry that he could do with eating some berries right at that moment.

"I ate them!" Georg declared proudly, pleased with himself for covering the massive hole in his story. "They were delicious and so juicy!"

All seven children looked at him strangely. "Father, we don't believe a word you just said," Brigitta declared straightaway.

"That's because you're a very intelligent girl," Georg chuckled. "All right, you caught me out. I didn't go berry picking but I did manage to find a surprise for you children."

"A surprise?" all seven children chorused together.

"It's waiting for you on the terrace," Georg told them as the seven children immediately rushed outside to find out what it was. Georg glanced back to Elsa. "Or should I say, _she_ is waiting out on the terrace."

Elsa beamed at him and squeezed his hand. "I'm very happy for you both Georg. But if you'll excuse me, Max is just bringing the car around to take me to the station. I hope you don't mind if I don't stay."

Georg nodded as they suddenly heard an onslaught of cries and cheers as the children discovered Maria waiting for them on the back terrace. Georg left Elsa and joined the children out the back. It was a heartwarming sight for him as he watched all seven of his children embrace their soon-to-be new mother.

"She's back!"

"Fraulein Maria's come back from the Abbey!"

"Father, isn't it wonderful!"

Walking towards them Georg replied, "yes it certainly is." He exchanged a special smile with Maria that didn't go unnoticed by the children.

"Father," Liesl spoke up, looking back and forth between her father and her governess. "Is there something you wish to tell us?"

Georg held out his hand to Maria who took it in her own and came to stand next to Georg. "Actually, there is something we wanted to ask you children…"


End file.
